Accoutebment



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

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(No Model.)

No. 469,444. Patented Feb. 23, 1892.

(No Model.) J- WI FRAZIER' 4Sheets-Sheet 3.-

AGGOUTERMENT. No. 469,444. Patented Feb. 23, 1892'.

(No Model.) J. W. FRAZIER. .4 She ets--Sheet- 4.

AGGOUTBRMENT.

No. 469,444. Patented Feb. 23, 1892.

G Frhldfllllfdlfllll! Y UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFicE.

JOSEPH W. FRAZIER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO ROSINE F. MONTGOMERY,OF SAME PLACE.

ACCOUTERMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 469,444, dated February23, 1892.

Application filed October 25, 1890. Renewed August 21, 1891. Serial No.403,281. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. FRAZIER, of the city and State of NewYork, have invented certain Improvements in Burden -Oarrying Devices forUse upon the Person, of which the following is a specification.

The objects of this improvement are to'increase the facility and comfortwith which baggage, equipments, or other burdens may be carried upon theperson of a traveler, hunter, or soldier.

The invention consists in distributing the weight of the objects to becarried by hangin g them, respectively, directly upon thelowerextremities of suspenders composed of two front legs united to or formedin one piece with shoulder straps, which pass over the shoulders of thewearer, and are united to a single rear leg, and in the employment of awaistbelt for lightly holding said objects against the body and therebypreventing the movements of the wearer in walking, running, or jumpingfrom imparting to the suspended objects swinging movements, which, ifthey were permitted, would result in the infiiction of uncomfortableblows against the person of the wearer. The more bulky portion of theload is carried in a skeleton frame, knapsack, or other receptacle,which is supported at the bottom upon the lower extremity of the rearSuspender-leg and is stayed at the top by straps passing across theshoulders and connected with the suspenders, which prevent the knapsackor otherreceptacle containing the bulky portion of the load from tippingbackward. Those parts of the load which are heavy in proportion to theirbulk I as, for example, ammunition -pouchesare hung upon the front legsof the suspenders by means of elastic connections composed ofappropriately-arranged spiral springs. The knapsack or other receptaclefor the more bulky portion of the load may also be supported by anelastic connection at the bottom to the lower end of the rear suspender;but this, although desirable, is not essential, because of the presenceof the springs introduced into the connections between the front legs ofthe suspenders and the objects re-.

spectively hung thereon. Such springs by yielding case any verticaljarring movement By this invention there is provided a suspensoryapparatus by means of which the total weight of the load is carried uponthe shoulders of the wearer, and is so distributed that its center ofsuspension is in a vertical line near the longitudinal axis of the bodyand in a horizontal plane near the height of the shoulders. Theseresults are accomplished without interference with the respiration orwith the freedom of action of the limbs and muscles of the wearer duringthe acts of walking, running, or jumping, and without subjecting thewearer to the unoomforable blows which would be inflicted if theknapsack or other rear load were permitted to acquire swinging movementstoward and from the body. Finally, the apparatus affords amplefacilities for carrying a large variety of objects in positions wherethey are convenient of access and from or to which they may be easilyremoved or restored.

The accompanying drawings of a suspensory apparatus containing theimprovements are as follows, namely:

Figure 1. is an isoinetrical perspective showing two ammunition-poucheshung, respectively, upon. the front legs of the suspenders and showing,hung upon the rear leg of the suspenders, the socket-frame forsupporting the rear load. Fig. 2 is an isometric-a1 perspective of askeleton frame for carrying bulky objects adapted for support upon asocket-frame hung upon the rear leg of the suspenders. Fig. 3 is a topview of the rear portion of the waist-belt and rear socketframe. Fig. 4is an elevation, partly in section, of the rear socket-frame andadjoining portions of the waist-belt, showing the lower extremity of therear suspender-leg connected to the said socket-frame. Fig. 5 is a rearelevation similar to Fig. 4, but showing the spring-tongue connected tothe bottom of the knapsack or skeleton frame and deposited in its socketin the rear socket-frame. Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section of therear socket-frame, showing in elevation portions of the waist-belt andsuspenders and exhibiting a knapsack supported upon therearsuspenderleg. Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section illustrating the modeof connection of the shoulderstraps with the suspenders, which is shownin isometrical perspective in Fig. 1.

The drawings represent the suspenders A composed of the front legs A A,each of which is made extensible by means of the return bend and buckleA and each of which is provided at its lower extremity with the hook- AThe front legs are respectively united to or formed in one piece withthe shoulder-straps A A which are adapted to extend over the shouldersof-the wearer and are united to the rear leg a, the lower extremity a ofwhich is connected with a metallic frame, hereinafter called the rearsocket-frame B, in which is formed a socket B for facilitating thesupport of the knapsack or other receptacle for the more bulky portionof the load directly upon the lower extremity of the. rear Suspender-lega. The socket-frame B is composed of the metallic strip 1), preferablyleather-covered, the central portion of which is outwardly offset toform a recess with outwardly-flaring side walls I) b, united to a rearwall 19 which is parallel with the main portion of the metallic strip 6.A vertical partition b has its vertical edges brazed, riveted, orotherwise secured to the flaring side walls I) b, respectively, andserves as the inner wall of the socket B. The ends 11 b of the metallicstrip bare bent inwardly and have riveted to them the vertical bands b12 respectively, which serve to loosely clasp the waist-belt 0 againstthe inwardly-turned ends 13 b of the strip b. The Waist-belt is providedin front with the usual clasp O.

Within the bight of the flaring bends of the metallic strip 1) aresecured the vertical cylinders 1) 19 in which are inserted the verticallegs 19 19 which are affixed to or formed in one piece with thehorizontal bar 19 to which the lower extremity a of the rearsuspender-leg is connected. Although not absolutely essential to thesuccessful working of the suspensory structure, it is preferred tointroduce within the cylinders 19 b the expanding spiral springs b 5which abut at their upper ends against the perforated heads of saidcylinders and at their lower ends against the transverse keys or nuts 1919 re spectively, applied to the lower extremities of the vertical legsb o The quality of elasticity is thus introduced into the device connecting the socket-frame B with the lower extremity of the rearSuspender-leg a.

The ammunition-pouches D D are carried, respectively, upon thepouch-frames D D. Each pouch-frame is composed of the metallic strip d,which is preferably leather-covered. The opposite ends d cl of the strip61 are bent inwardly and secured, respectively, to the verticalcylinders d 01 and have riveted to them the bands (1 d which serve toloosely clasp the waist-belt 0 against the inwardlybentends d d. WVithinthe cylinders 61 (l are deposited, respectively, the expanding spiralsprings 62 d, which abut at their upper ends against the perforatedheads of the cylinders d d and at their lower ends against thetransverse keys or nuts d (1 applied, respectively, to the lowerextremities of the vertical legs d d, which are united to or formed inone piece with the horizontal bar 01 to which there is attached the eye01 for engaging one of the hooks A with which the lower extremities ofthe front suspender-legs A A are respectively provided. The more bulkyportion of the load is carried in the rear of the person and may eitherbe contained within the knapsack E, as illustrated in Fig. 6, or withinthe skeleton frame F. (Illustrated in Fig. 2) The latter preferablyconsists of a metallic base-frame F, to which is pivotally connected onthe side next the body of the wearer a short upright metallic frame fand upon the opposite side a longer upright metallic frame F3. The upperextremities of the two upright frames respectively are provided with thestrap-eyes f f and F F Flexible stay-straps G G are permanently securedto the strap-eyes f f respectively, and are led upward therefrom andover the load contained within the skeleton frame through the strapeyesF F and thence forward over the shoulders of the wearer to their pointsof attachment to the suspenders, such attachment being effected by theengagement of the hooks g g, with which the free ends of the straps G Gare respectively provided, with the vertically-adjustable links H H,arranged on the front legs of the suspenders. Each of the said linksconsists of a rectangular frame It, provided with a central cross-bar h,from which there project laterally two short pins 71. 712, which areadapted for insertion through holes punched in the suspenders. Thesuspenderstrap in each case is led over the cross-bar h but under thebars of the rectangular frame, which are parallel with the saidcross-bar. The front legs of the suspenders are each provided with tworows of holes 0 O'toprovide for the adjustment of the'links H H atdifferent heights.

Instead of making the links H H vertically adjustable, they may bepermanently secured to the legs of the suspenders, as illustrated inFig. 6, in which case the stay-strap for leading over the shoulder andconnecting with the load in the rear of the person will be constructedlike the stay-strap I, (shown in Fi g. 6,)

which, as will be seen, is made extensible by means of the return-bendv) and buckle i. The stay-straps are intended simply to hold the load atthe rear of the person, so as to prevent it from tipping backward. TheWeight of such load, whether it be contained in a knapsack or in themetallic frame F or other receptacle, is directly supported upon thelower extremity of the rear Suspender-leg. To that end the bottom of theknapsack or the bottom of the skeleton frame or other receptacle, as thecase may be, is provided with a tongueJ, which is adapted for deposit inthe socket B.

Although not essential, it is preferred to pivotally connect the tongueJ with the bottom of the knapsack, skeleton frame, or otherweight-carrying structure, and to employ, in connection with saidtongue, a torsion-spring,

by the influence of which the tongue, when removed from the socket B,will be rocked against the bottom of the weight-carrying structure, asillustrated in solid lines in Fig. 2, in which, as will be seen, thetongue J is looped around the horizontal bar K, to which there isapplied the spiral spring 7c, the central portion it of which bearsagainst one side of the tongue J, while its opposite ends are affixed tothe lugs L L, projecting downward from the inner corners of thebase-plate F. The lugs L L may, however, be arranged to project downwardfrom the base-plate midway between its front and rear corners, asillustrated in Fig. 6, in which they are represented as so applied tothe bottom 6 of the knapsack E. In such case the tongue J will be bentto a right angle, as shown in Fig. 6, so that when detached from thesocket B its torsion-spring 7; will cause its vertical portion to berocked upward against the outer side of the knapsack E, approximately tothe position in which it is represented in dotted lines in Fig. 6. Vhenthe tongue is-inserted in the socket B, the resultant effect of thetorsionspring 71; is to lightly press the lower portion of the knapsackE or of the skeleton frame F, as the case may be, toward the back of thewearer, so that, although the waist-belt is not clasped tightly aroundthe body,there will be no opportunity for violent lateral swingingmotion to be communicated to the lower part of the knapsack or frame bythe movements of the wearer.

When a knapsack is employed, the staystraps may be connected with abuckle-eye E, affixed to the top of the knapsack, as illustrated in Fig.6.

If desired, the socket B may be made of sufficient width to permit theinsertion therein of the tongue m of a haversack or pouch M, asillustrated in Fig. 6.

\Vhat is claimed as the invention is 1. The herein described burdencarrying apparatus for travelers, hunters, or soldiers, the sameconsisting of suspenders composed of two extensible front legs united toor formed in one piece, with shoulder-straps for hanging over theshoulders of the wearer, a central rear leg united to saidshoulderstraps, a frame connected with the lower extremity of said rearleg and provided with a suitable socket, a knapsack or other receptaclefor containing the more bulky portion of the burden, provided at thebottom with a tongue for insertion in said socket and provided withstay-straps for passing over the shoulders of the wearer and connectingthe top of said knapsack or other receptacle with the suspenders, pouchframes hung, respectively, upon the lower extremities of the frontsuspender-legs for supporting objects, such as ammunition pouches, whichare relatively heavy in proportion to their bulk, and a waistbeltloosely connected with said pouch-frames and said rear frame, andprovided with a clasp for holding against the body of the wearer theobjects hung or supported upon the lower extremities of thesuspenders-legs, respectively.

2. The combination, as herein set forth, of suspenders having two frontlegs and one rear leg, a frame suspended upon said rear leg andconnected with the bottom of a knapsack or other receptacle for bulkyobjects, in combination with pouch-frames respectively provided withspiral springs suitably suspended from the lower extremities of thefront suspenden-legs, respectively,and adapted to carry the weight ofsaid pouch-frames and the weight of the ammunition-pouches or otherobjects deposited upon said pouch-frames, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

3. The combination, with the leg of a suspender and a frame forsupporting an ammunition-pouch or other object to be carried upon theperson, of two vertically-arranged spiral springs connected with saidframe and suitably hung from the lower extremity of said suspender-leg.

4. The combination, as and for the purposes herein set forth, of thesuspender-leg A, the

hook A at the lower extremity thereof, the pouch-frame D, the spiralsprings d d the vertical legs d d, inserted through said springs,respectively, and having transverse keys or nuts applied to their lowerends, the horizontal bar d connected to the upper ends of said legs d dand provided with the eye (i for engaging said hook A the waist-belt G,and the bands 61 d affixed to said pouchframe for loosely clasping saidbelt against said pouch-frame.

5. The combination, as and for the purposes herein set forth, of aknapsack or other receptacle for bulky objects, with the tongue J,pivotally connected to the bottom of said knapsack or other receptacle,the spring for exerting a pressure upon the said tongue, tending to rockit in an outward direction from the back of the person carryingtheknapsack, the frame 13, hung from the rear suspender-leg and providedwith a socket B for engaging said tongue J, and the waist-belt O forholding said frame B against the body of the wearer.

JOSEPH V. FRAZIER. Witnesses:

E. GATTERER, J. E. BURNS.

ITO

